Liquid jet nozzle

ABSTRACT

Liquid Jet Nozzle including nozzle head, input stem section with straightening vanes and an output nozzle orifice. Flow pattern is re-entrant with respect to the input stream and is caused to change through a substantial angular direction and increase in velocity while maintaining minimum of turbulence.

United States Patent [191 Robinson et al.

[ July 31, 1973 LIQUID JET NOZZLE 3,149,784 9/1964 Skidgel 239/206 [75] Inventors: Charles W. Robinson, San Francisco; g g; Kenneth E. Merknn Tiburon; 3,589,683 6,197} Roybin 259/4 h P- wood, San Francisco, an of Calif- FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Asgignee; Marcona Corporation, San l,234,56l l0/l960 France 239/265.35

Francisco, Calif. A [22] Fil d; D 29, 1971 Primary licaminer-llglli Hiension Wood, Jr.

Assistant xamineric ae Mar [21] Appl' 213363 Attorney-Paul D. Flehr, Robert B. Block el al.

[52] US. Cl 239/206, 239/225, 239/590.5,

239/601, 259/4 ABSTRACT i 'z' fl'fg fgg "555 115 33; 3 5? Liquid Jet Nozzle including nozzle head, input stem 239/225 265 35 section with straightening vanes and an output nozzle orifice. Flow pattern is re-entrant with respect to the input stream and is caused to change through a sub- {56} References Cited stantial angular direction and increase in velocity while maintaining minimum of turbulence. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,655,!32 4/1972 Rosie 239/206 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ,0 l2 5 II a.) A)? N M Z l 1 I l I0 41 I a I I II 56 l I a ,0 9 I i i F PATENIE JUL 31 I975 sum 1 orv 3 uoum JET NOZZLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to liquid jet nozzles and more particularly to moveable forms of such nozzles particularly suitable for emitting a very high velocity, coherent stream for creating high impact forces at considerable distances from the nozzle.

There are many applications in which there is needed a compact easily moveable liquid jet nozzle which will simplify and more effectively deliver a free liquid stream of high velocity from the nozzle to a location of impact. Examples include resuspension of compacted slurries, fire fighting, hydraulic mining, irrigation, high voltage power line cleaning, and cleaning operations in general.

By way of example, in the application of resuspending of settled slurriable material, it has been found desirable to cause a liquid stream to traverse and impact material which may be stored in a vessel such as a railroad car, ship's hold, or other container or which may be contained within a larger body of material as a pile of ore tailings or muds in order to resuspend or agitate such materials.

Typically, such problems require that an entrance be made into the material through a container wall, or from a predetermined location within the material, and that a liquid jet of high energy be supplied at that point and be capable of being traversed progressively into impact contact with successive portions of the material being treated. An example of such a system is disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 788,364, filed July 31, 1968, now abandoned and entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING MINERAL SOLIDS AND OTHER PARTICULATE MATTER, assigned to the same assignee as the present application wherein a particular system is shown for the repulping of particulate solids, particularly ore solids utilizing a traversing water jet immediately above or adjacent a container wall, such as the inner bottom of a ship. In these and other applications, there have existed limitations on the amount and concentration of force and energy remaining in the water jet stream after the same has travelled a given distance away from the jet nozzle. Generally, the stream is subject to turbulence or vector rotational forces within itself which cause it to disperse after a limited distance. With such limitations, the number of nozzles that are required in a given area of container is required to be higher than desirable, thereby increasing the cost of operation of the system.

There is, therefore, a need for an improved moveable liquid jet nozzle which will overcome the above limitations, and which will provide other advantages which will render it particularly suitable for a wide range of other applications.

- In the present specification, the development of the nozzle of the present invention was undertaken for reslurrying operations. It should be understood, therefore, that the following description is directed to this application solely by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope, usefulness or application of the invention herein.

For rcslurrying, the liquid jet nozzle of the present invention particularly concerns the delivering of a moving high energy coherent liquid stream into discrete materials and, more particularly, to the pulping of such discrete materials into a pumpable slurry for transportation through pipelines. The nozzle design disclosed herein also will find application in many situations in which it is desired to develop such a coherent liquid stream from a liqudi source having passed through a substantial angle, while avoiding the creation of turbulence or other dispersive forces.

SUMMARY OF TI-IE'INVENTION AND OBJECTS In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a moveable liquid jet nozzle which will overcome the above limitations and disadvantages and which will change a liquid stream direction and velocity through a substantial angle and deliver that stream in exceptionally high energy, non-dispersive form over a relatively long distance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a liquid jet nozzle of the above character which is particularly applicable for installation in a vessel, such as a ships hold or tank and for carrying out the repulping of mineral solids and other particulate matter therein.

As disclosed by way of example herein, the invention concerns a rotatable liquid jet nozzle which may, for example, be mounted for rotation in a suitable housing mounted beneath the inner bottom of a ships hold where the nozzle is supported on a cylindrical stem for rotation. The nozzle generally consists of a continuously tubular member having the shape similar to the curve of a question mark. As to its line of centers the interior of the nozzle continuously reduces in circular sections, first shifting in one direction and then shifting back in the other direction at a substantial angle to the direction of alignment of the stem on which it is mounted. The nozzle is confined within either a real or an imaginary extension of the cylindrical stern so that the nozzle and stem unit is capable of being lowered for concealment from impact, as for example, on ships loading, and later raised to operative position along its axis. After being raised, the cylindrical form of confinement of the entire nozzle permits its being rotated within a body of compacted material without undue resistanee.

As applied to a ships installation, the mounting stem is carried in suitable housing and extends through a sump formed in the inner bottom of the ship through which repulped slurry is withdrawn and discharged. In

other applications, the nozzle may be suspended by other means and may operate both not only upwardly from beneath the material to be acted upon, but downwardly and into the same.

These and other features and objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims in which the preferred embodiment is set forth in detail and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment showing a modification ol' the nozzle head constructed in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring particulary to FIG. 1 wherein the overall structure of the jet nozzle of the present invention is set forth in connection with its installation in the inner bottom of the ship having a plurality of water-tight holds formed by bulkheads (not shown). The inner bottom is provided with an opening 12 therein which drains into a sump l4, terminating in its lower portion in a flange ring 16 to which a sealing member 18 and upper housing member 20 are secured, as with bolts 22 and 24. The central portion of the sump is provided with an opening 26 which leads to one side to a discharge outlet 28 to remove material entering the sump. Centrally disposed within the sump l4 and the opening 26 therein is a jet nozzle 30 to be hereinafter described.

The lower end 32 of the upper housing is fitted with a high pressure liquid inlet housing 34 which is sealed from the upper housing by a packing gland 36 and an additional seal 38. The lower end of the inlet housing is provided with a stem bearing and seal 40 which, together with the upper bearing and seal 36, 38, provide support for the stem 42 of the jet nozzle. Means 43 are provided for rotating the jet nozzle and for controlling its elevation, such means being similar to that shown in the aforereferenced application and need not be repeated in detail here. A high pressure source 44 of liquid is connected to the inlet housing through a suitable flange connection 46.

Referring now more particulary to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown in detail the nozzle for forming the traversing liquid jet of high energy disposed immediately above a grating 48 which overlies the sump and which prevents consolidated materials from entering the sump before being broken up. The jet nozzle includes the hollow stem shaft 42 which is set in the seals and bearings 36, 38 and 40, and which has near its lower end inlet openings 50 for permitting high pressure water to enter within the shaft. The hollow shaft is circularly cylindrical and extends upwardly to a nozzle head 52, the outlet of which consists of a nozzle orifice 54 mounted in the head. The upper end of the shaft extends around the head 52 and is closed with a sealing cap 56 which may be made of metal but is preferably of suitable elastomer material which cushions the impact of material falling thereupon, and in certain applications, as a seal over to the opening of the sump with which it may be associated. Furthermore, the sealing cap extends slightly beyond the perimeter of the nozzle head to provide protection for the nozzle and to effect a closure seal when the unit is lowered into the sump as shown at 58 in FIG. 3. In the section of the stem between the inlet passage 50 and the nozzle head 52, a plurality of straight vanes 58 are positioned (FIG. 2), which may take any of various conformations, that being shown in FIG. 2 consisting of a generally square elongate lattice aligned with the axis of the stem and extending for a substantial distance therealong to define a plurality of smaller passageways 60, each of uniform cross section throughout its length to thereby induce liquid flowing through the stem into parallel nonvortex flow substantially free of gross turbulence.

.Referring particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown in detail the liquid jet nozzle head of the present invention, which generally consists of a successive first and second sections 70, 72 terminating at the end of the second portion in a nozzle orifice 74. The first and second sections of the nozzle head carry the liquid through a sweeping are, first in a general direction away from the orifice nozzle along arrow 76 and then back towards it along arrow 78. The entire first and second sections 70, 72 are enclosed within a cylindrical extension 80 of the stem and are connected thereto by a suitable weld at 82. In this way, the entire assembly is adapted for rotation about the axis of cylindrical extension 80 while presenting a minimum of proturbances or other means which might come in contact with adjacent ore or other solids or other matter and impair the ability of the unit to rotate.

As seen particularly in FIG. 4, the first and second sections taken together generally include a forward wall 84 immediately beneath the orifice nozzle 74 and a rear wall 86 which continues from the orifice nozzle into the cylindrical section and becoming gradually more and more tangent therewith. The front wall 84 is re-entrant with respect to the cylindrical surface between the orifice nozzle and the cylindrical stem section at 82 and serves as a continuous throat like closure, while, together with the rear wall, and sid walls 88, 90, forms a generally tubular channel of constantly reducing diameter from the stem section to the orifice nozzle.

More particularly, the nozzle head of the present invention can be described as continuous smooth development of two sections, the lower section extending from line 82 up to about line 92, the latter being the limit of extent of the reentrant dip. This lower section takes the form of an eccentric reducer, having the approximate shape of the frustrum of an oblique cone, the lower front, back, and side walls of which are gradually curved into conformity and convert into tangency with the stem cylinder 42. The oblique cone has a substan tially straight back wall which continues in tangency with the extension, either imaginary or real, of the-stem cylinder, up to the upper limit of this section. The front wall of the section falls inwardly towards the back wall, while maintaining generally circular sections through the side wall.

The upper section of the nozzle head extends from line 92 to the orifice nozzle and generally includes a member having the shape of a concentric elbow, the initial diameter of which corresponds to the upper diameter of the lower section 70 and symmetrically reduces in size in a uniformly, continuous manner, to the orifice nozzle. The upper and lower sections are so aligned that their line of centers lies in a plane such that the center line 76 moves rearwardly toward the back wall in the lower section 70 and center line 78 progres sively moves forward toward the front wall in the upper angle with respect to the cylindrical stem as it approaches the orifice nozzle.

Nozzle orifice 74 is mounted to the end of the nozzle head upper section and is aligned as the converging frustrum 96 of a cone terminating at its outer end in a short cylindrical section 97. The outer edge of the latter is relieved away to form a circular knife edge 98 orifice which facilitates clean separation of flow of the liquid stream as it leaves the orifice.

Seen as a problem in turbulence or non-laminar flow, the present nozzle head appears to induce sufficient reduction or compensation in liquid vortex formation as to induce a marked improvement in the resulting jet coherence as measured by jet force of impact and divergence at significant distances from the nozzle. Some additional improvement can be obtained by inserting a second set of straightening vanes 99 immediately before the nozzle orifice as shown in FIG. 5 and by using curved converging vanes (not shown) to continuously connect vanes 99 toward the nozzle.

By way of example, the following dimensions were found quite satisfactory when operated with water supplied at 250-300 pounds per square inch from a 6 inch line for reslurrying operations:

lower reduction section input diameter 6 inches lower reduction section output diameter 3 inches upper reduction section input diameter 3 inches upper reduction section output diameter 2 inches nozzle orifice cone 2 inch down to l ,6 inch The nozzle of the present invention serves to change the direction and velocity (momentum) of a liquid stream through a substantial angle. As used herein, a substantial angle refers to an angle of about 90 since stream coherence after redirection through about 90 is a principal objective of the present invention. It has been found, however, that the present invention produces very satisfactorry results when applied to redirection through angles less than 90, even as low as 45.

- Where lesser angles are used, the eccentric collar portion of the nozzle remains about the same, while the reducing elbow portion is changed to reflect the desired amount of redirection. This serves to illustrate a common feature of nozzles constructed in accordance with the present invention, in that the lower or eccentric portion reduces the cross section of the stream without redirecting the stream and cooperates with the other portion to equalize stream velocities. The other reducing portion makes the major change in overall stream direction. In operation the re-entrant path taken by the stream along to arrow 84 tends toward a more nearly equal path length with streams travelling along the back wall along arrow 86. This tend to equalize the velocities of the liquid stream as a whole when taken as a function of progressively rotating cross-sectional areas (FIG. 4) and this reduction in velocity differential is believed to explain the greatly improved performance of the present nozzle.

Thus, there has been disclosed a particularly novel and effective liquid jet nozzle which provides a significant increase in thrust and impact forces at a distance by controlling turbulence and which is therefore suitable for repulping and other operations where application of high forces from a liquid stream is required together with motion of the nozzle. When tested against a standard straight Harris nozzle at 50 feet, the nozzle of the present invention has proven quite satisfactory,

any serious loss in efficiency in the bend being negligible. Effective ranges of various nozzles constructed in accordance with the present invention have extended as far as 100 feet. Angles of deflection between and 45 have been found satisfactory. While input heads of 250-350 psi were disclosed in the specific example herein, many other pressure valves may be used, from about -600 psi depending upon the size of the unit and the servive application.

While a specific disclosure and embodiments have been shown herein it should be realized that many modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, while the present disclosure shows movement of the jet nozzle about a fixed axis, it is believed that a swivel or ball mounting would be required in many applications such as firefighting, mining, or cleaning. Accordingly, the scope of this invention should be understood in a broader context limited only by the following claims as interpreted in the light of the foregoing example.

We claim:

1. A nozzle head including a cross section of a continuously reduced diameter and adapted to accept a liquid under pressure and to change the momentum of said liquid through a substantial angle and to increase the velocity thereof, comprising a first reduction section consisting of substantially a continuous development of an eccentric reducing collar having the shape of a frustrum of an oblique cone, having a back wall lying on a surface of tangency with an associated source of fluid, and a second section consisting of a member having the shape of a concentric elbow having a bend which lies in the same plane as the center lines of said reducing collar, and oriented to continue back away from the direction of the bend of said reducing collar so that the back wall of said nozzle forms the surface of a generally continuously or redirected elbow lying in a continuously turning surface while the front wall thereof assumes a re-entrant shape, first turning toward said back wall, and then reversing into converging parallelism with the said back wall.

2. In a liquid jet nozzle from which a liquid is discharged at high energy in a'uniform stream of high velocity and particularly adpated for the agitation of subdivided solids impacted by said stream, stem means comprising a first section-having the shape of a circular cylinder, means for at least partially rotating said stem means about its axis, means for coupling said cylindrical section to a source of liquid under pressure, a nozzle head connected to the one end of said cylindrical section, said head having a first portion formed to fit continuously in alignment with cylindrical section and other portions of progressively reduced cross sections, said nozzle head terminating in a nozzle orifice opening in a plane at a substantial angle to said stem means, said nozzle head including first and second reducing sections, said first reducing section approximating an eccentric reducer having a back wall toward which the center line of said eccentric reducer approaches, said back wall being aligned as a continuation of said stem means, and a front wall, the center of which reentrantly progresses toward said back wall, the circumference of said eccentric reducer being continuously connected to said stem, part of which is continuous with the forward portion of the front wall of said stern means, the remaining portions of said reducing section front wall gradually converging towards said back wall thereof and diminishing in size by generally circular sections, said nozzle head being further constructed and arranged to be confined throughout its extent within an extension of said cylindrical section, thereby serving to change the direction and velocity of the flow of liquid by a substantial angle within that dimension.

3. In a liquid jet nozzle from which a liquid is dis charged at high energy in a uniform stream of high velocity and particularly adapted for the agitation of subdivided solids impacted by said stream, stem means comprising a first section having the shape of a circular cylinder, means for at least partially rotating said stem means about its axis, means for coupling said cylindrical section to a source of liquid under pressure, a nozzle head connected to the one end of said cylindrical section, said head having a first portion formed to fit continuously in alignment with cylindrical section and other portions of progressively reduced cross sections, said nozzle head terminating in a nozzle orifice opening in a plane at a substantial angle to said stem means, said nozzle head including front and rear walls, the center of the rear wall being substantially in alignment with the cylindrical stem section, said front wall being reentrant with respect to an extension of the cylindrical stem section as a whole and forming a continuous throatlike closure which together with said rear wall,

and side walls forms therewith a nozzle head of continuously reducing cross section, said nozzle head being constructed and arranged to be confined throughout its extent within an extension of said cylindrical section, thereby serving to change the direction and velocity of the flow of liquid by a substantial angle within that dimension.

4. A liquid jet nozzle as in claim 3, in which the line of centers of said reducing sections lie in a plane.

5. A liquid nozzle as in claim 3, further including a plurality of vanes positioned in the cylindrical section and aligned therewith to pass the liquid therethrough in non-turbulent flow.

6. A nozzle head as in claim 5, having a nozzle orifice section mounted at the outward end of said reduction section, said orifice section being shaped to further reduce the cross section of the interior thereof in the shape of a frustrum of a cone and terminating at its small or outer end in a short cylindrical section, the outer edge of which is relieved away to form a knife edge orifice. Y

7. A nozzle head as in claim 6, further including a plurality of straightening vanes positioned immediately adjacent said orifice to aid in eliminating turbulent flow of liquid therethrough. 

1. A nozzle head including a cross section of a continuously reduced diameter and adapted to accept a liquid under pressure and to change the momentum of said liquid through a substantial angle and to increase the velocity thereof, comprising a first reduction section consisting of substantially a continuous development of an eccentric reducing collar having the shape of a frustrum of an oblique cone, having a back wall lying on a surface of tangency with an associated source of fluid, and a second section consisting of a member having the shape of a concentric elbow having a bend which lies in the same plane as the center lines of said reducing collar, and oriented to continue back away from the Direction of the bend of said reducing collar so that the back wall of said nozzle forms the surface of a generally continuously or redirected elbow lying in a continuously turning surface while the front wall thereof assumes a re-entrant shape, first turning toward said back wall, and then reversing into converging parallelism with the said back wall.
 2. In a liquid jet nozzle from which a liquid is discharged at high energy in a uniform stream of high velocity and particularly adpated for the agitation of subdivided solids impacted by said stream, stem means comprising a first section having the shape of a circular cylinder, means for at least partially rotating said stem means about its axis, means for coupling said cylindrical section to a source of liquid under pressure, a nozzle head connected to the one end of said cylindrical section, said head having a first portion formed to fit continuously in alignment with cylindrical section and other portions of progressively reduced cross sections, said nozzle head terminating in a nozzle orifice opening in a plane at a substantial angle to said stem means, said nozzle head including first and second reducing sections, said first reducing section approximating an eccentric reducer having a back wall toward which the center line of said eccentric reducer approaches, said back wall being aligned as a continuation of said stem means, and a front wall, the center of which reentrantly progresses toward said back wall, the circumference of said eccentric reducer being continuously connected to said stem, part of which is continuous with the forward portion of the front wall of said stem means, the remaining portions of said reducing section front wall gradually converging towards said back wall thereof and diminishing in size by generally circular sections, said nozzle head being further constructed and arranged to be confined throughout its extent within an extension of said cylindrical section, thereby serving to change the direction and velocity of the flow of liquid by a substantial angle within that dimension.
 3. In a liquid jet nozzle from which a liquid is discharged at high energy in a uniform stream of high velocity and particularly adapted for the agitation of subdivided solids impacted by said stream, stem means comprising a first section having the shape of a circular cylinder, means for at least partially rotating said stem means about its axis, means for coupling said cylindrical section to a source of liquid under pressure, a nozzle head connected to the one end of said cylindrical section, said head having a first portion formed to fit continuously in alignment with cylindrical section and other portions of progressively reduced cross sections, said nozzle head terminating in a nozzle orifice opening in a plane at a substantial angle to said stem means, said nozzle head including front and rear walls, the center of the rear wall being substantially in alignment with the cylindrical stem section, said front wall being re-entrant with respect to an extension of the cylindrical stem section as a whole and forming a continuous throatlike closure which together with said rear wall, and side walls forms therewith a nozzle head of continuously reducing cross section, said nozzle head being constructed and arranged to be confined throughout its extent within an extension of said cylindrical section, thereby serving to change the direction and velocity of the flow of liquid by a substantial angle within that dimension.
 4. A liquid jet nozzle as in claim 3, in which the line of centers of said reducing sections lie in a plane.
 5. A liquid nozzle as in claim 3, further including a plurality of vanes positioned in the cylindrical section and aligned therewith to pass the liquid therethrough in non-turbulent flow.
 6. A nozzle head as in claim 5, having a nozzle orifice section mounted at the outward end of said reduction section, said orifice section being shaped to further reduce the cross section of the interior therEof in the shape of a frustrum of a cone and terminating at its small or outer end in a short cylindrical section, the outer edge of which is relieved away to form a knife edge orifice.
 7. A nozzle head as in claim 6, further including a plurality of straightening vanes positioned immediately adjacent said orifice to aid in eliminating turbulent flow of liquid therethrough. 